Switzerland to strengthen measures against antibiotic resistance

"The situation is dramatic and must be taken seriously," director of the federal public health office, Anne Lévy, said. Keystone-SDA

The federal government intends to strengthen measures against antibiotic resistance and support hospitals in setting up appropriate programmes.

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The director of the Federal Office of Public Health, Anne Lévy, visited the University Hospital Basel, considered a pioneer in this field, on Monday.

“The situation is dramatic and must be taken seriously,” Lévy told the Keystone-ATS news agency. “Multi-resistant germs and the fact that not all antibiotics are effective against every infection represent one of the biggest public health challenges.”

This is why the health office relies on “antimicrobial stewardship” programmes, such as the one already implemented by the Basel hospital, which include, among other things, monitoring antibiotic use and resistance. So far, only half of Swiss hospitals have initiated a comprehensive programme against this threat.

As part of an action plan and the ongoing revision of the Epidemics Act, the federal government intends to create the basis for preventing and combating resistance. According to Lévy, veterinary medicine and agriculture will also be involved.

In the pharmacy instead of in the bin

The aim is to avoid the overuse of antibiotics, and to always administer them at the right time and in the right quantity, in order to prevent the development of further resistance. It is also important to inform the population not to throw leftover antibiotics in the waste, but to return them to the pharmacy.

“In recent years, we have seen an increase in multi-resistant germs,” said Nina Khanna, head of infectious diseases at University Hospital Basel. Therefore, it is important to record data in the hospital to find the right antibiotic for patients with these types of germs. The hospital can combine certain antibiotics and, in rare cases, even use drugs that have not yet been approved.

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Translated from Italian with DeepL/gw

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